NHS Letter Templates with Examples

What is an NHS Letter Template?

The term ‘NHS letter template’ collectively describes a range of standardised, pre-formatted documents used in NHS settings. These templates cover a variety of communications, such as advice and guidance letters, patient correspondence, referral letters, and discharge summaries.

An NHS letter template serves two main purposes. Firstly, their ready-to-use format can help reduce the time clinicians spend on documentation. Secondly, the standardised approach promotes high-quality documentation and efficient communication between clinicians, patients and administrative staff, which in turn enhances patient care and safety.

In this article, we’ll explore why NHS templates are important and provide an overview of the main types of templates clinicians use. We also cover some tips on using NHS templates in your practice, including how AI-enabled templates can significantly reduce administrative burden.

Why are NHS Letter Templates Important?

From medical referral letters to pre-admission instructions and treatment plans, standardised NHS letters form an essential part of each patient’s medical record.

The benefits of a well-designed NHS letter template can vary according to the document. But in general, the use of a standardised format is preferable to unstructured clinical documentation because:

• Shared language facilitates efficient communication between clinicians and stakeholders.
• Patients receive timely information and instructions about appointments.
• The pre-formatted structure can reduce documentation time and cognitive load for clinicians.
• Standardised terminology promotes accurate and efficient coding.
• Clinicians have compliant records of the interventions and actions they have undertaken.
• Structured referral information makes it easier to undertake service planning and demand management (compared to unstructured referrals)
• Completion of templated letters can be partially automated through the use of digital patient records tools or almost completely automated with an AI medical scribe.

‍Ultimately, each NHS letter template is important because it contributes to the overall production of high-quality patient records, which is crucial for safe and effective care delivery.

Different Types of NHS Letter Templates

The number of NHS letter templates has been steadily growing, especially as services outside of primary care undergo digital transformation of patient records.

Below are three of the most commonly used templates by NHS clinicians. For each NHS letter template, we’ve provided a brief description of the document, an example of the completed letter, and a link to an AI-enabled template.

NHS Advice and Guidance Letter Template

Advice and guidance (A&G) is a channel for general practice clinicians to obtain a pre-referral specialist opinion through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS).

An A&G NHS letter template typically covers:

• Patient demographics
• Current presentation and concerns
• Relevant medical and social history
• Clinical findings and current management
• Specific questions for the specialist

Example NHS A&G Letter

Dear Dr. John Smith,

Re: Advice and Guidance Referral for Michael Johnson, 15 March 1980

I am writing to seek your advice and guidance regarding the management of Michael Johnson, a 44-year-old male who presents with persistent chest pain and shortness of breath. He has a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and he underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in 2018. He is currently on atorvastatin and lisinopril. He has no known drug allergies.

• Social History: Michael is a non-smoker and consumes alcohol occasionally. He works as an accountant and lives with his family.
• Clinical Findings: Recent ECG showed ST-segment depression. Echocardiogram revealed mild left ventricular hypertrophy.
• Current Management: Michael is currently on a low-sodium diet and is advised to engage in regular physical activity. He is also taking aspirin daily.
• Specific Questions/Concerns: Could you provide your opinion on the need for further cardiac investigations or adjustments in his current medication regimen?‍

I would greatly appreciate your expert opinion on recommendations for additional diagnostic tests or treatment modifications.

Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Emily Carter
General Practitioner
(555) 123-4567

View AI-enabled NHS A&G Letter Template

NHS Hospital Referral Letter Template (for Patient)

An NHS appointment letter template (or hospital referral letter) is commonly used to communicate important information to a patient.

Appointment letters might include:

• Appointment times and dates
• Pre-admission instructions
• Requests for the patient to contact the service
• Follow up details or actions to be taken after treatment

In the example below, the GP practice referring to a hospital service uses an NHS referral letter template to follow up with the patient and outline the next steps.

Example NHS Patient Letter

Dear John Smith,

Your GP at Greenfield Health Centre has referred you to see a specialist at St. Mary's Hospital, Cardiology Department regarding your recent episodes of chest pain and shortness of breath. While awaiting your appointment, your GP has arranged for an ECG and blood tests that may assist with the specialist’s assessment.

As you may be aware, general practice is currently experiencing increasing workload pressures due to administrative tasks that should be managed by other NHS services. To improve this situation and ensure better patient care, NHS England has introduced measures clarifying the responsibilities of hospitals when a GP refers a patient.

When a referral is made, it is the responsibility of the hospital and specialist team to:

- Arrange any necessary onward referrals to another specialty if required for a problem related to the initial referral.
- Arrange and carry out any recommended blood tests, scans, or other investigations.
- Communicate the results of such tests or investigations directly with you, rather than directing you back to your GP for results.
- Provide any prescriptions needed for treatment, including for infections identified during their investigations, instead of advising you to contact your GP for prescriptions.
- Offer a direct point of contact for any queries related to your treatment, referrals, or investigations, rather than advising you to contact your GP.
- Issue a fit note (sick note) if required, covering the full period of time you are advised to remain off work.
- Address any concerns regarding appointment wait times directly with you. If you feel your wait is too long, the hospital team should manage this, rather than directing you to ask your GP to intervene.
- Avoid automatically discharging you for unintentional missed appointments and instead offer a rescheduled appointment where appropriate.

At Greenfield Health Centre, we fully support this approach to improving the coordination of care between primary and secondary services. If we determine that your specialist is not fulfilling these obligations, you will be advised to contact their team directly.

We appreciate your understanding and support, as this will allow us to dedicate more time to direct patient care.

If you have any further questions regarding your referral, please contact 020 7946 0958.

Yours sincerely,

Nurse Jane Doe
Greenfield Health Centre
123 Health Street, London, SW1A 1AA
020 7946 0958

View AI-enabled NHS Referral Letter Template

NHS Discharge Letter Template

Every patient who leaves an NHS hospital should receive a comprehensive discharge summary, with a copy also going to their GP.

An NHS discharge letter template includes sections to record:

• Admission and discharge dates
• Name of treating consultant and discharging staff
• Presenting problems and medical history
• Treatment administered
• Medications
• Discharge plan and follow-up instructions

Example NHS Discharge Letter

Admission Date/Time: 28/10/2024 14:30
Discharge Date/Time: 01/11/2024 09:00
Consultant: Dr. Thomas Kelly

Outcome: Discharged with consent

Presenting Complaint: Patient presented with chest pain and shortness of breath.

Discharging Ward: Cardiology Ward
Discharging Hospital: St. Mary's Hospital
Discharged by: Nurse Sarah Johnson
Discharge Method: Usual place of residence

CLINICAL SUMMARY

Admission Diagnosis: Acute Myocardial Infarction (I21.9)

Comorbidities: Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes

All Problems: Acute Myocardial Infarction, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes

Allergies: Penicillin

Allergic Reactions (Selected): Rash and swelling (severe)

Warfarin treatment: Not required

Medications to take home:

- Aspirin 75 mg, once daily, indefinitely
- Metformin 500 mg, twice daily, ongoing
- Lisinopril 10 mg, once daily, ongoing

Discharge Plan

Advice, Recommendations and Future Plan
GP: Follow-up appointment in 2 weeks to monitor blood pressure and glucose levels.
Community/Specialist Services: Referral to cardiac rehabilitation program.
Other Details: Patient advised to avoid strenuous activities for 4 weeks and to follow a heart-healthy diet.

Dr George Verghese, a GP partner at an inner-city London practice with around 15,000 patients, transformed his practice using AI-enabled NHS letter templates with Heidi’s AI medical scribe.

“Heidi now really allows me to just maximally focus on what I have been trained to do, rather than all of the other admin bits,” states Dr Varghese, adding that the tool has shaved “an hour to two hours” from his usual clinical day.

Interestingly, in addition to using Heidi for patient consultations and referral letters, Dr Varghese also uses the innovative AI scribe for other administrative tasks, such as documenting minutes for practice meetings and appraisals.

View AI-enabled NHS Discharge Letter Template

How to Write an NHS Letter Better (and Faster)

There’s no denying that NHS clinicians are struggling under the weight of an excessive documentation burden.

The average clinician now spends 13.5 hours per week on clinical documentation—an increase of 25% in the last seven years. Plus, in the most recent GP Voice Survey, a reduction in administrative workload was the number one intervention identified to improve staff retention in general practice.

Using an NHS letter template doesn’t alleviate all the burden of documenting a clinical encounter. However, in our experience, some strategies exist that can maximise the time-saving nature of templates while still producing compliant notes.

Clarify the Purpose of the Note

Being clear about why you are completing an NHS letter template helps you focus on including relevant information and avoiding unnecessary details. Before you start writing, ask yourself:

• Who is the intended recipient? (GP, specialist, patient, etc.)
• What specific question or issue needs to be addressed?
• What action do you want the recipient to take?

‍For example, an NHS operation letter template should clearly articulate details and instructions about the upcoming surgery for the patient, while an NHS complaint response letter template would succinctly and objectively respond to issues raised in the complaint.

Minimise Double Handling

One of the easiest ways to waste time on documentation is by manually rewriting the same information across multiple notes and documents. To avoid this:

• Structure information in an initial assessment or progress note so it’s easy to copy to downstream documents with minimal editing.
• Use standardised note formats like SOAP or HPI that lend themselves to easy transfer to other documents.
• Refer to medical reports or management plans in notes rather than writing a detailed summary.

Overall, the goal is to create documentation in a way that it’s easily integrated into multiple stages of the patient journey.

Remember CARAT

If you ever lose time wondering how to structure a letter, follow the CARAT principles recommended by the NHS. These guidelines stipulate that all clinical documentation should be:

• Clear: Use plain language, logical structure, and avoid ambiguity.
• Accurate: Include factual information and avoid subjective statements (unless clinically relevant).
• Relevant: Focus on information that matters for the particular document or note.
• Accessible: Use a format that makes key information easy to find.
• Timely: Complete documentation promptly while details are fresh in your mind.

CARAT principles can be applied to any NHS doctor's letter template or note and are particularly useful if you need to customise or add sections to an NHS letter template.

No Superfluous Information

As a general rule, a completed NHS letter template should only include information required for the safe delivery of care—nothing more. This approach has the benefits of:

• Saving the clinician from spending time writing irrelevant information in the letter.
• Reducing the time other clinicians spend reading the letter.
• Protecting the privacy of the patient.

‍A simple way to avoid writing superfluous information is to ask yourself, “Would another clinician need to know this to effectively treat this patient?”

Utilise Available Technology

Several digital health tools can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete an NHS letter template. Examples include:

• EHRs that auto-populate information from the patient’s medical record into a pre-formatted template.
• Template libraries which contain collections of templates for various clinical scenarios, like Heidi’s Template Community.
• AI medical scribes that process information from a clinical encounter and automatically produce a structured note, letter or report

‍Of the examples above, AI medical scribes hold the most promise for reducing administrative burden. To quantify the potential time savings, most clinicians utilising Heidi reduce their daily documentation time by around 50% (1 - 2 hours per day).

Free NHS Letter Templates